The 700-pound weight reduction -- thanks to the use of high-strength aluminum -- was used to show that the F-150 would once again feature class-leading fuel economy (although the official EPA numbers are not yet available).

Chrysler is obviously tired of hearing about the F-150 and wants to put some of the spotlight back on its own hot-selling pickup: the Ram 1500. In this case, the company is proud to announce that its Ram 1500 EcoDiesel V6 (240hp, 420 lb-ft torque, 9,200-pound towing capacity) is rated for 28 mpg on the highway and 23 mpg combined (the company neglected to provide city numbers).

Ram 1500 EcoDiesel

Naturally, Chrysler tried to dig the knife into Ford a little deeper by calling out the F-150. “To put the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel in context, it gets 6 mpg better fuel economy than the best F150 EcoBoost,” said Reid Bigland, President and CEO Ram Truck Brand. “Overall, the Ram 1500 Eco-Diesel has outstanding pick-up truck capability with compact-car-like fuel economy.”

The company even used its press release to bring attention to Ford’s extensive use of aluminum in the 2015 Ford F-150, clearly reaching out to a segment of the population that is not too keen on the use of the lightweight material. The press release talks about the “Thoughtful material-use strategies that leverage lightweight aluminum for components – such as hoods – that do not compromise capability.”

However, for those looking to “get their diesel on” with the Ram 1500, the price of entry definitely isn’t cheap. The 2014 Ram 1500 with a 3.6-liter V6 gasoline engine has a starting price of $24,400 (plus $1,195 destination fee) and the EcoDiesel engine option represents a $2,850 premium over the already optional 5.7-liter HEMI V8.

And that also doesn’t take into account the 10 to 15 percent (or higher) price premium for diesel over regular unleaded gasoline throughout much of the United States.